Balmoral School Newsletter - 3 May 2024
Principal
Tēnā koutou i tēnei ahiahi
A very warm welcome back to Term 2. We hope that you managed to get some time to spend with your whānau during the school holidays.
We're looking forward to a busy and exciting term of learning, sports, community events and in particular, our Matariki celebration towards the end of the term.
On Tuesday, we held a whakatau to welcome a number of tamariki, and their whānau, to our kura. Being able to 'whakatau' our newest members to the school is a really important and special part of our school culture. Thank you to both the ākonga and the kaiako who were involved in the welcoming ceremony.
Our Year 8 whānau head off to Mototapu camp on Tuesday and we wish them all the best. We know that education outside of the classroom (EoTC) provides rich opportunities for children to develop a range of skills. Trying new things exposes tamariki to different experiences, perspectives, and opportunities. It encourages personal development and fosters resilience, adaptability, and the ability to embrace change, all of which are essential life skills. Thanks to the Year 8 team for all of the work that has gone into preparing for camp and to the parents who are volunteering their time to help during the week; without their support, the camp couldn't have gone ahead.
Kia pai tō rā whakatā
Nāku noa,
Katy
Multilingual Afternoon Tea
Balmoral School is a multicultural school. There are speakers of Mandarin, Hindu, Spanish, Portuguese, Tagalog and many other languages. However, many of our students and their families do not have the opportunity to make connections with each other. The Multilingual Afternoon Tea provided a space for students and their whānau to come together to share food, chat and play.
Many children helped out with the preparation of the food. Lolly cake and afghans were prepared (and tested) by some children, whilst table setting, grape washing and sausage roll baking was done by others.
It was amazing to see so many students with their families in the Staff Room. The food was well received - we will have to prepare more next time! Our next Multilingual Afternoon Tea will be held later this term - if you are looking to meet other multilingual families and children, we look forward to seeing you then!
School Closed on Friday 31st May
The school will be closed on Friday 31st May for a Ministry Directed Teacher Only Day.
Book Character Parade
There will be a Book Character Parade this term - week 4 Friday 24 May. We are encouraging the tamariki to dress up if they would like to. Homemade and child inspired preferred.
Ngā mihi
Liz Hamilton and Nicola Brown
Librarians
Primary school - 8:30am start
Many thanks for your continued support in supervising your tamariki before the gates open at 8:30am.
Primary School News
Whānau Hiringa - Growing and Learning
We have had a great start to the year in Hiringa and it's hard to believe that we are now at the end of our first week of term 2. It has been great to see the tamariki grow as individuals from the start of the year and how they have adapted to being in new classes with new peers.
Our Inquiry journey is well and truly underway and we have had excellent oral presentations from students which then flowed to pieces of writing about special family treasures or taonga. These pieces of writing can be seen on the Hiringa walls accompanied by pictures of the items brought in or discussed by the tamariki. We are now moving to either paint, model in clay or make cardboard representations of these items. It has been interesting to see that the story behind the items is what makes them special and what connects our learners to them rather than the item itself.
In our Mitey sessions we have looked at a range of topics across both hubs. Hub 14 classes have been exploring concepts about Manaakitanga (respect and caring for others) and working with emotions. For Manaakitanga we have explored and discussed the word and then looked at how the tamariki receive manaaki (protect and care for their mana) from others and how they can manaaki their own whanau. With working with emotions, tamariki have explored a range of emotions that can be experienced in life. They then have designed characters to provide a visual reference of the range of emotions life brings out in us all.
As in term 1, there are a range of Eden Albert sports competitions that are open to year 5 & 6 students this term and we do encourage students to have a go and trial for these events. They are a great opportunity to meet new students as well as pick up new skills or simply have a go whilst representing the school.
It was great to connect with so many whānau during conferences last term so that your children could share their work with you all and build their confidence as well as pride in what they produce whilst at school. Thank you for taking the time to attend and we look forward to a great term 2 and beyond!
Intermediate School News
Hub 4 Inquiry
At the end of last term 4A2 started making a thank-you gift to Maungatautari for taking us on a tour around parts of the mountain. This was inspired by the taxidermied pests they had at the vistor centre. We made models of the birds and animals to put on our mountain. We plan on gifting this to them when we finish.
Imogen King:
We split into three groups: Maungatautari, the camp and the birds to go on Maungatautari. We will be giving the finished models to Maungatautari. I have been a part of the Maungatautari building. I have also been making the fences and helping others whenever I can. The models are a lot of fun. Overall a great experience and I hope I get to do this again.
Harry Culpan-Hammon:
For my part I have made some birds for our model of the mountain. I made some tiny stitchbirds and once I had finished that, went to help on the mountain which was running behind in the process of building. I have helped Imogen's group with fences and hot glueing the mountain's structure. I found it fun and challenging at the same time.
Amara Bruns:
For my Inquiry this term I was in the bird group. I made two pukeko out of clay, painted them, and then they went in the oven. Everyone made such colorful creative pieces. When they are all finished we will give them to Sanctuary mountain (Maungatautari). I had fun.
Here are a few photos of our work in progress:
League Sports News
FlippaBall Term 1, 2024
Firstly thank you to Katie Wright, Gareth Kayes and Leigh Foster for managing our flippaball teams in Term 1. The tight time frame for entry at the beginning of the year meant that lots of schools missed the cut off resulting in less teams in the league. As a result, two of our flippaball teams, Hapuka and Narwhals were put in the same grade and went head-to-head for the first game. The result was a draw 2-2 with both teams playing well. Hapuka were undefeated for every game and played off with the Narwhals for the Gold/Silver final. It was an intensely competitive game with Hapuka coming away with the win 3 - 1. Well done to these teams. Thank you to all the parent support cheering the teams on too.
Trevally, a mixed Year 4-6 team, came away with a few wins and lots of improvement in skill. The before game Neptune Express training has been really beneficial for all our teams.
Hapuka & Narhwals
Gold Winners - Balmoral Hapuka
Narhwals
Trevally
Basketball
We have been fortunate to be invited to play in the Central Hoops Basketball League played at Auckland Grammar School. We entered 6 teams into the competition in the grading rounds for Term 1. Two competitive Year 8 teams, two development Year 7 teams and 2 development Year 5/6 teams.
Thank you to parents David Fainsilber, Tammy Brown, Paul Fletcher, Emme Chacko, Caroline Herrick, Toby Morris and Nitin Kathuria, for volunteering to coach/manage these teams.
This is a new league and I am pleased that it has gone really well to the point that they are over-subscribed with schools wanting to join. We have secured our spots for the competition rounds for Terms 2 & 3 and we are looking forward to another successful term.
Blazers & Ballers
Year 5/6 Buckets
Giants
Comets
Community News
Central Auckland Silverbacks Sunday Skills are BACK for Term 2 - 2024.
Lindsay Tait, 12 Year Tall Black and 9 x NZNBL All Star 5 is giving you all the skills and drills to play basketball at an enjoyable level.
Looking to learn the basic fundamentals of basketball? Want to grow your confidence headed into term 2’s Auckland City Basketball x Central Auckland Silverbacks Central School Hoops LEAGUE? Nau mai, haere mai…
Term 2 dates:
May: 5, 12, 19, 26
June: 9, 16, 23, 30
No session June 2 - Kings birthday
WHERE:
Auckland Grammar Sports Centre
TIME:
10U & 12U: 10am - 11:15am
14U & 16U: 11:15 - 12:30pm
REGISTER BELOW ⬇️🏀
https://membership.mygameday.app/regoform.cgi?formID=114145
Let me know if you have any questions about our Term 2 offerings.
Don't forget to follow our social media platforms for any updated information ⬇️
Central Auckland Silverbacks Instagram
Central Auckland Silverbacks Facebook
Ngā manaakitanga,
Brooke Watt
Central Auckland Silverbacks
